The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons says it has rescued another 34-year-old lady, Kikelomo Olayide, who was allegedly deceived to Lebanon for employment.
The Lagos State Commander of NAPTIP, Daniel Atokolo, said this at a news conference organised by the agency in Lagos on Tuesday.
This is coming weeks after Omolola Ajayi, a Kwara State-based 23-year-old single mother, who was trafficked to Lebanon on the pretext of becoming English teacher was rescued by the government.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Olayide returned to Nigeria at 4pm on February 2 and she is presently in the agency’s care.
The commander said the victim was allegedly trafficked by a 54-year-old Lebanese (name withheld for further investigations) in October 2019.
Atokolo said: “NAPTIP responded to Olayide’s husband complaints on January 30 when she was apprehended by the Lebanese, who is resident in Lagos.
“NAPTIP immediately mandated the suspect to release Olayide in Lebanon to be moved back to Nigeria.
“Olayide is a mother of two and an indigene of Kwara.”
Atokolo, presenting the fact of the case, said the suspect trafficked the victim under the pretence of employing her as a care giver to his aged mother in Lebanon.
The NAPTIP Commander said: “However, on the victim’s arrival at Lebanon, she was received by an agent who also handed her over to a family where she was exploited as a domestic servant.
“The victim also reported that she was sexually harassed, while working for the said family.”
According to Atokolo, when Olayide’s husband approached the suspect to return his wife, he was threatened.
He said: “The suspect demanded that the victim would only be returned if the victim’s family provides another person to replace her.
“This is so sad.”
Atokolo said the agency is currently investigating the suspect’s activities to ascertain his possible involvement in trafficking Nigerians to his home country for exploitation.
He said: “The recently celebrated return of Omolola Ajayi is also not far from our thoughts; NAPTIP, therefore urge Nigerian youths not to assess job offers made by these foreign benefactors.
“NAPTIP implores Nigerian youths to do personal assessment of their qualifications to employments offered by foreign benefactors.”
Atokolo added that NAPTIP Lagos Command from inception to December 2019 has recorded 89 convictions.
“Also a total of 4,626 victims have been provided various levels of services NAPTIP Lagos Shelter,” he said.
